


Sentimental Senpai at Ikeman Academy

by ChiefofPigs



Category: Notice Me Senpai! (Video Game)
Genre: CG Rewrites, Confession, F/M, First Meeting, School Event, date, one universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-09-21 22:12:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9569036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChiefofPigs/pseuds/ChiefofPigs
Summary: Rewrites of all the CGs in the game Notice Me Senpai. All they want to do is love you, but you aren't able to return their feelings. Why? You aren't allowed to date any of the boys at Ikeman Academy or you'll lose your scholarship and your part-time job at the café. All of these confessions exist in the same universe.~~~~Update: Please forgive me for inconsistent posts. I work full-time and have a very active toddler, so time to write is basically non-existant. Thank you all for reading!





	1. First Confession (ReaderxIzumi)

_Roses are bread  
Violets are bloop.  
Sugar is sweet.  
So is gloop._

\----

The cafe was starting to pick up now that the 3rd years were getting into their schedules for the new school year. This morning in particular was especially busy. You were starting to work up a sweat, running from the coffee machine to the tables, the kitchen to the counter, wiping down each surface as soon as it was cleared of patrons, stacking the empty mugs in the back to clean when you had a free minute.

You were so busy cleaning up after the last student had left for class, you almost missed the pale yellow envelope that sat on one of the tables. The elegant cursive of your name caught your eye and you paused, setting down the rag on the tabletop to look it over.

The parchment felt heavy in your hands and you could tell that it was expensive just by looking at it. The flap was sealed with red wax but had no stamp, leaving you curious about the contents.

You tried to remember who had been sitting in that spot today, but the morning was all a blur. Tucking the envelope gently in your apron pocket, you quickly finished setting up the cafe for lunch before sitting at the counter and pulling it back out.

You admired the handwriting one last time before turning it over. You grabbed a knife from the utensils you had by the register and gently popped the seal open. The waft of air blew the scent of old books and dust into your nostrils and you felt the tickle of a sneeze rise up. You took a deep breath and willed it away, scrunching your nose until the urge left.

The letter on the inside was made of the same thick parchment, causing the paper to snag as you inched it from the tight grip of the envelope. The page was folded in half and you gently smoothed it open on the counter, the same elegant handwriting welcoming you.

_Stories of love are everywhere you look,  
All you must do is read a good book.  
But all the books and stories of lore,  
Have left me wanting and aching for more._

_A beauty so perfect has entered my sight,  
When I behold her my heart squeezes tight.  
I think she may be the one I desire,  
For love is the word that sets me afire._

Tacked on the bottom of the page was an additional message.

_Please meet me on the school rooftop at lunch today._

You felt a blush rise to your cheeks at the love poem. You had never received a letter like this before. You weren't sure how to react. But as much as the prospect of a confession excited you, you grounded yourself with the knowledge that you wouldn't be able to accept the feelings of this boy.

You sighed and carefully tucked the paper back into the envelope, placing it by the register. Lunchtime was so soon yet you wished it would take eternity. You stepped to the back and hung up your apron, grabbing the keys to lock up while you went to class.

\----

Your lunch period was slightly different than most. The faculty allowed you extra time to get the cafe ready for the rush of students and teachers that would flood the small building during the hour. However, today would be different.

You opened the cafe and got it ready as usual, handing out a few to-go cups to some of the staff that came by early. It was just a few minutes until the 3rd years would be released from classes. You tucked your apron away and flipped the sign on the door to “Closed”, locking up with trembling fingers.

It was time.

Not wanting to be caught up in any conversation with the senpai, you took the long way around the building instead of taking a more direct approach through the hallways. Finally reaching the top of the emergency stairwell, you stepped through the heavy metal door, wiping the slight sweat on your brow with the back of your hand before turning up the final steps to the school’s rooftop.

A slight breeze cooled the last of the sweat on your face as you opened the door. Across the way you saw a blonde figure looking through the fence that wound around the roof. Hearing the door creak open, the boy turned to face you. It was Izumi.

The boy met your gaze for only a moment before a blush blossomed across his cheeks, looking down at his feet in embarrassment as you walked over to him.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said once you were standing close enough to hear him. His voice was light and breathy, dancing in the air around you.

You tucked a stray hair behind your ear as you asked, “You wanted to see me, senpai?”

“I-I need to tell you something.”

You could tell what was coming but at the rate Izumi was going, he would need much longer than the lunch period to get to the point.

You were about to break the silence when he took a deep breath and looked up, meeting your eyes with his as he pushed his glasses up with his fingertips. A determined expression crossed his face and you were slightly taken aback. This wasn't a look you had ever seen before on the gentle book reader.

“Ever since I met you, my world started to change. I used to keep to myself a lot, spending time alone in the library. I really thought that living in my head was better than talking to other people.” He paused for a moment to take another breath before continuing, “But you changed all of that. You asked how I was everyday and slowly, I opened up my world to you. I realized that spending time with you was more interesting than any story I could read.” He faltered, looking down at his hands, clenching them together. Lifting his head, he finished quickly, “I like you. Won't you let me write my own story with you?"

You felt tears pricking your eyes at the sincerity in his words, a smile touching your mouth. Even though you knew what you had to do well before this moment, it didn't make the words you said next any easier.

“I am so thankful that you think of me so highly, Izumi-senpai. But I’m afraid I can't accept what you’re proposing.”

The hopeful look in his eyes faded, his shoulders slumping. “I understand,” he murmured.

“Ah!” You took a step closer and reached out to brush your fingers against his hands. “Please don't misunderstand, I am very flattered and I care for you a lot. The only reason I can't say yes is that I have a stipulation in my scholarship. I’m not allowed to enter a romantic relationship with any of the male students here. I don't understand all of the reasons why, but I’m afraid I can't risk the chance to lose my position here.”

Izumi bobbed his head slowly, wrapping his brain around what you were saying. “So hypothetically, if you were able to d-date a student here, you would say yes?”

A grin spread across your face and you gave him an almost imperceptible nod. His expression brightened immediately.

“I have to get back to the cafe before lunch is over. Would you like to walk me there? I’ll make you some green tea.” You shot him a wink.

The blush crept back onto his cheeks at the gesture and he gripped his hand around your own for a moment before letting go and pushing his glasses up again. “It would be my pleasure.”


	2. Second Confession (ReaderxAi)

The cafe had finally slowed down from the after school rush. The only noise came from the whirring of the coffee machine and the faint hint of music coming from Ren’s earbuds as he slept on the couch. You leaned your elbows on the counter by the register and grimaced once you noticed all the spots of coffee and tea that had been spilt on it during the last hour. Was that half a packet of sugar laying about on the other end?

Grumbling, you pulled out a spray bottle of cleaner and a rag, misting the counter thoroughly before you started scrubbing. You were working out a particularly stubborn stain when something was shot into your upper arm.

“Ouch!” It hadn't exactly hurt, but you still let out a cry at the shock of being unexpectedly hit. “What was that?”

You dropped the rag and looked for the offending object. Down by your feet was a makeshift arrow, tipped with a pink foam heart. You had seen something similar to this before and you tried to remember from where. You picked it up and spun it in your fingers, surprised that such a light arrow had packed a solid punch.

“Did it work?”

You searched for the source of the voice and saw Ai standing by the doorway. That’s where you had seen this arrow before, he had a quiver full of them that he carried around everywhere he went. He gently closed the door so the bell didn't ring. You assumed he was doing his best to make sure Ren wouldn't wake up. You rolled your shoulders and offered Ai his arrow back as he came closer.

“Did what work?”

“The arrow.” His fingers lightly touched yours as he took the arrow back and tucked it in the quiver once more. He leaned forward and searched your eyes, seemingly looking for something. It didn’t necessarily make you uncomfortable, but it was a little invading. “Are you in love with me yet?” he asked, voice soft. The smell of chocolate wafted over your face.

You furrowed your brows at the forward question. “What? What do you mean?”

He let out a deep sigh and placed his heart bow on the counter. “It’s supposed to make you fall for me. It worked for all the other couples I’ve paired up.” He sounded bitter and made an attempt to lighten up as he continued, “Sorry. I don’t really know what to do to make you like me.” His head dropped and he watched his toes as he scuffed his shoes against the tile.

You could tell that he still had more on his mind, but your thoughts turned to Izumi. He had confessed to you only a few days ago and here you were with another boy aiming for your affection. You had known you would get a few, this was a school full of boys after all, but you weren’t expecting another one so soon. You weren’t sure if your heart could take it if you had any more confessions this week.

“People tell me I’m an expert at love, but really, I’ve never been in love myself.” You pulled yourself out of your thoughts so you could pay attention to what Ai had to say. Just because you knew you had to say no didn’t mean you had the right to not listen to his heartfelt feelings. “I’m always the one giving people dating advice, but I realized, when I met you,” he met your gaze once more. “I don’t have a single clue about love.” He picked up his bow again and clenched his hands around it nervously. “I’ve never really had a Valentine before. So will you do me the honor of being my first Valentine?”

“Ai-senpai,” You forced a small smile onto your face. “I’m going to be honest with you, because you don’t deserve anything less. I’m unable to accept your feelings.” He let out a soft moan and closed his eyes. His hands gripped onto his bow so tightly you were scared that he would break it. You reached forward to place your hand on one of his, trying your best to calm him down. “Please don’t misunderstand, I care about you very much. You always bring in a cheery mood when you come in here and I love all the chocolates you leave behind for me.” He nodded slowly, taking a few seconds before opening his eyes again. “I’m unable to accept because I will lose my scholarship and my job here at the cafe if anybody catches me in a relationship with one of the other students.”

He blinked a few times as he began to understand. “I would...much rather see you every day here at the cafe than risk losing you forever.” He fidgeted a bit. “Am I still okay to have these feelings for you? I want to learn what real love feels like.”

You smiled and brought your hand back, tucking your hair behind your ear. “Of course. I can’t dictate your feelings.”

A hint of a smile touched his lips and he straightened up. “I’ll take a mochaccino to go please.”

“Coming right up!”


	3. Third Confession (ReaderxRen)

You finished hanging up a few paintings on one of the walls in the cafe. You had been given permission to decorate the inside of the cafe however you felt was needed and the bare walls had been mocking you for weeks.

You had approached the art club the day before about borrowing some of the club members’ work to display in the cafe and Touya had jumped in eagerly, saying he had some from last semester he felt would suit the cafe perfectly. He had come in early this morning with canvases in tow, telling you to pick however many you would like.

Many of them were minimalistic or abstract, which wasn't exactly what you were looking for. But two of them were perfect. One was a portrait of a beautiful woman, she sort of reminded you of _The Mona Lisa_ , and the other was of a series of colorful roses. Touya had nodded his head and complimented your choice before heading off to class with the other rejected pieces.

You stepped down off of the stool you had been using and took another look to make sure they were hanging evenly. Grabbing the stool to take it back to the stockroom, you turned and glanced at Ren.

He was restless, which was highly unusual. Usually he would lay down on the couch after plugging in his earbuds and promptly pass out. But today he seemed unable to get comfortable. He had rolled to rest on both sides, his back, he even attempted to sleep on his stomach but none of it seemed to be working for him.

Concerned, you quickly put away the stool and poured out a cup of tea, bringing it over to the end table that stood in front of the couch. You carefully set it down before speaking.

“What’s the matter, Ren-senpai?”

He slowly moved into a sitting position with a sigh. He inched to the side to give you enough room to sit by him. As you made yourself comfortable on the plush seat, he politely took a sip of tea before setting the cup back down and leaned back into a slouching position.

"I can't sleep,” he said, his voice a quiet murmur. “I'm kind of uncomfortable and I need something to cushion my head." As though his body was on autopilot, he teetered over and laid his head on your lap. You stiffened at the sudden contact, but he let out a deep sigh of satisfaction. “There. That’s perfect.”

A long silence stretched as you felt him relax, listening to Ren’s even breathing. His earbuds lay loose on his chest. He must have turned the music off, as you didn't hear anything coming from them. His hair brushed against your apron and you worried about the coffee stains and the light dusting of flour from this morning’s pastries that may get stuck in it. But the look on his face was peaceful. Something about it calmed you down and you found yourself starting to relax as well. There was no one else in the cafe, nobody was needing you at that moment, you could take the minute to rest your legs.

“You know,” Ren said, startling you out of your silent thinking. “I couldn't stop wondering about why I kept coming back to this cafe. I walk here from my dorm every day to get coffee. I usually find routines like that quite troublesome. I can just save myself the effort and make instant coffee in my room.” His lips twitched into a small smile and he opened his eyes, gazing up at you. “Then I slowly figured it out. I come here to see you. I would do anything to see you everyday.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “As long as it's for you, any amount of work feels effortless.”

You opened and closed your mouth, trying to say the words you had to say without tearing up. You weren't expecting a confession from Ren. The boy usually said as little as he could. You hadn’t heard much out of him other than ‘coffee’. When Reiji would come in and bother him while he was taking a nap, he would reply in soft words, but you couldn’t usually hear him.

“So embarrassing,” he said, almost to himself, as he laid a hand over his face. “I hope this doesn’t bother you. I know about your scholarship, I heard you talking about it the other day. I don’t expect anything in return.”

You felt a blush make its way across your cheeks. He had heard Ai’s confession to you? At least you wouldn’t have to explain the details of the scholarship again, but that was of little comfort to you. Poor Ai.

“Please,” his voice was almost inaudible. He moved his hand, sweeping the bangs away from his face. His eyes met yours, begging you to listen. “Stay. All I want is a nap and your lap is so comfortable. I won’t ask for anything more than that.”

You peeked over the back of the couch to look out the front windows of the cafe. The seat was facing away from them, so you didn’t think anybody would be able to see the two of you if they glanced in. They would probably see the back of your head, but many of the senpai said that you worked too hard and needed to take more breaks anyway.

Turning back, you looked down to see Ren watching you silently, tracing the shape of your face with his gaze. You sighed and rolled your shoulders with a sniff. “Fine. But remember, the cafe closes in a little over a half hour.” His smile grew wider and he wiggled his head on your thighs to get more comfortable. You looked away, knowing that your blush was deepening. “You’ve got flour in your hair.”

“It’ll wash out.”

Ren finally fell asleep and you sat there with him snoozing on your lap until you had to wake him up and send him on his way home, cleaning the cafe in a daze. As you locked up and walked back home to your grandmother’s house, you touched your cheeks and found them still warm.


	4. Fourth Confession (ReaderxYuu)

You worked on patching up the last of Wakatoshi’s scratches, tsking as he hissed with each touch of the disinfectant on the cuts. He sat on a stool, keeping his eyes averted from your gaze, most likely out of guilt. This wasn’t the first time you had cleaned him up after a fight. He didn’t want to go to the school doctor and you didn’t blame him. Haruka was kind to a fault and you knew that Wakatoshi didn’t want to bother him with his everyday scuffles.

This time, however, your annoyance with him outweighed your worry. He had gotten into a brawl right outside the cafe, scaring away potential customers. At the sour look you gave him, he bit back any more excuses and apologies.

You collected your things, placing them meticulously back into your first aid kit. “You’re good to go, Wakatoshi-senpai.” You gave him a once over and tucked a loose lock of hair back into his well-groomed pompadour, a small smile touching your face.

His cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he stood, mumbling his thanks before stuffing his hands in his pockets and slouching out the door.

You sighed and returned to the register, tucking the kit back in its place in the cupboard under the machine. The bell in the doorway rang again and you stood up, swinging the cupboard door closed as you welcomed the newcomer. “Welcome, Yuu-senpai! What would you like for today?”

The peach-haired boy approached the front counter without a word, looking perplexed and ornery. This was very unlike him. He normally wore a giant smile, exclaiming over anything that was cute, especially your tea sets. His hand that normally held his stuffed rabbit’s arm was instead holding it by the scruff. You felt an alarm of concern flash through you. Something was wrong.

As soon as he was close enough, Yuu thrust the rabbit in your direction. “This is yours. I don’t want it any more.”

You gingerly took the rabbit and looked across at him. “What’s wrong, senpai? Why are you upset?” His lips pursed even further than they had a moment ago and before you could think about what you were saying, you added, “You look so cute when you’re all pouty though!”

Regret washed over you as his face contorted into frustration. You tried to withhold your thoughts on his size and appearance, knowing that it bothered him when he heard comments from the other students on how adorable and somewhat girlish he behaved.

“That’s the problem! I’m always just ‘cute’ to everybody.” His voice pitched higher and higher as he spoke. “Nobody ever takes me seriously. I can be mature and manly too!”

You resisted from comparing him to a child throwing a tantrum. He was two years older than you and was expressing himself as best he could.

Setting the bunny on the counter to face Yuu, you said, “Why would you want to be that? You’re fine the way you are.” You meant it. You loved the way he got so excited when you brought out the pastel tea set with matching iced cookies. It was sweet how he involved you in conversations with his rabbit. He even had you choose an outfit for it once. 

He reached out to take your hands from around the stuffed animal, bringing them to rest between the two of you. “Because if I’m just cute to you, you’ll never consider me as a man.” His expression changed from exasperated to woeful. “They said you wouldn’t take my feelings seriously if I kept acting the way I do.” He paused before looking at you imploringly. “Am I really just fine the way I am? Can you really see more than just some troublesome kid?”

You tightened your hands around his. “You’re not troublesome or a kid, Yuu-senpai. I don’t know who was saying those kinds of things, but I think you are perfect the way you are.” You let go of him and picked up his rabbit, gently placing it in his still outstretched arms. “I promise you. I like the Yuu who acts like himself much more than a Yuu who is trying to fit an image someone else set for him.”

A blush blossomed across his face. “You really think so?”

“Of course!” His smile grew wider with each second until he was grinning. You let out a quiet sigh, glad that he was feeling back to normal. You held up a finger, motioning him to stay where he was. Taking a step over to the glass case that held the desserts, you pulled out two heart-shaped cookies, some of his favorites. “Here you are,” You set them on a napkin and placed them on the counter in front of him. “One for you and one for Rabbit-kun. On the house.”

His eyes shone radiantly as he took the treats, biting into one of them immediately. When his mouth was cleared, he said, “You never change the way you are either, okay?”

You gave him a knowing wink. “Sure thing, senpai.”


	5. First Encounter (ReaderxJéan)

You unlocked the door to the cafe after school but didn’t flip the sign to ‘Open’, heading back to the kitchen, setting the keys by the register on your way.

There was a school festival tomorrow and you had been asked by the principal to run a booth, selling desserts to the entirety of the student body. He had pulled you aside a week ago during your lunch and let you know of the plan, asking your permission before adding you to the festival map. Since then, the word had somehow escaped and spread around the school like wildfire. Several of the students in your class had approached you, letting you know how excited they were to be able to have a taste of the third year cafe.

Feeding all of the boys at the school, for you knew not a single one would miss the chance to go by your booth, was a daunting task. You had thought about what you were going to make and decided to make sugar cookies. They were simple to make, didn’t involve too many ingredients, you could use your large arrangement of cookie cutters to vary the shapes and sizes, along with all the different icing types and colors and designs…

First things first. You pulled open all the boxes of supplies you had ordered at the beginning of the week in preparation. You came across plenty of bags of flour, but when you got to the boxes labeled as Sugar, you found that only a handful actually contained any. They had sent you too many bags of flour. There was no way you could make all the cookies you needed with the few sacks of sugar you had.

Grumbling, you stood up and moved to the order invoice you had clipped on the wall by the kitchen door, looking it over to make sure you had ordered the supplies correctly. You had. With a sigh, you made a mental note to call them in the morning once they were open and leave them a complaint. For now, you couldn’t do much else than go to the convenience store that stood a few minutes walk from the school campus. You had gone there a couple times before when you had unexpectedly ran out of coffee filters and napkins.

You stepped through the doors and grabbed your keys from the counter, unlocking the register and pulling out a handful of bills. You counted them and wrote the total on your notepad. You would give the receipt to the principal and he would credit back the amount you had paid out of the register.

Slamming the cash bank closed, you stuffed the bills into your skirt pocket and left the cafe, locking up once more. You walked as quickly as you could to the store, needing every second you could spare so that you weren't stuck at the cafe all night baking cookies.

You approached the store from the side and as soon as you turned the front corner, an unusual sight greeted you. A bunch of girls wearing various school uniforms surrounded a tall blonde boy. You recognized the brown vest from your own school and squinted, trying to figure out if you recognized the boy or not.

As you stepped closer, you were able to hear him say jovially with a faint French accent, “Who wants to play the _pohki_ game with me?”

The girls let out cries of adoration and called out, “I do, Jéan-senpai!” and “No Jéan-senpai. Pick me!” They flocked around him like ravenous baby birds, pushing themselves forward, trying to be the first to feed.

Jéan-senpai. Of course it was him. He had been in the cafe before, flirting with you and leaving his number on an empty treat box. Somehow it didn't surprise you that he would be the one in the middle of the giggling girls. You were able to hold back the snort building at the way he had pronounced ‘pocky’, but you couldn't help the smirk from blooming across your face.

Once you were a few feet away from the girls in the back of the throng, you noticed that they were blocking the door. You danced around them, first right then left. You were able to get to the doorway but there were still a few girls in the way.

Frustrated that they were completely ignoring your existence, you cleared your throat and spoke loudly, “Excuse me.”

A few girls turned to look at you with varying expressions of disgust and annoyance. However, you had also caught the attention of Jéan. His mouth perked up into a grin even more sly than what he had started with and said, “Well, if it isn't the new girl at school.”

He started to come your way, the girls in his path moving aside to let him through. As he approached, you backed up, hitting the wall, effectively pinning yourself there. Once he was close enough that you could smell his rose-scented cologne, he raised an arm to press against the brick above your head. He leaned his head down slightly and gave you a once over.

“I don't think I've introduced myself. The name's Jéan. What are you up to, sweetheart?" Despite the fact that he had clearly seen you before at the cafe--he had left you his number after all--his flirtatious attitude threw you off.

You had to admit, there was definitely a reason he had a posse of girls around. A rosebud was pinned to the breast of his vest, bringing out the vibrant red color of his eyes. A series of earrings in his left ear gave him a rogue appearance. His shirt was unbuttoned as much as the vest would allow. Add the French accent and he was every girl's dream man.

However, the narcissistic personality drove you nuts.

“Um, I was about to buy some sugar for the cafe.”

Without skipping a beat, he said, “You know, I can give you all the sugar you need.” He added a wink for good measure.

“Huh?” You knew your voice sounded monotonous, unimpressed.

“How about you, cutie? Do you want to play the _pohki_ game with me?" He reached back into his pocket and procured one of the treat sticks, placing one end in his mouth, flicking his tongue to wiggle it towards your mouth.

You couldn't believe it. He would do this with a girl he hadn't even said a word to before? Remembering why you were there in the first place, you gestured toward the door, which now had a clear path. “Uhm, I'm sorry. I need to get back to the cafe as soon as possible."

Amid the gasps and exclamations from the other girls at your refusal, you ducked under his arm and entered the store. You grabbed a cart and gave a tense smile toward the cashier that welcomed you.

“Totally ridiculous,” you muttered under your breath as you made your way to the baking aisle.


	6. Fifth Confession  (ReaderxTouya)

Ever since the festival, the cafe was slammed with customers. Students and teachers alike had bombarded the small building during every open hour. After your complaint to the delivery company, they had sent a box of gourmet coffee beans in form of apology for their product mishap. It was such a hit, you decided to continue ordering it. It was a little more costly than the beans you had used before, but the profit from the festival went right back into your funds, leaving you with a good amount of money to lean on.

Today was the first day in two weeks that the morning shift was relatively slow. Ren was napping on the couch. Hideki was muttering to himself, typing furiously on the cafe’s single computer available to students for their schoolwork. Izumi was sipping on a cup of tea, completely engrossed in a book. The old jukebox was playing a tune that someone had set it to, filling the room with an indistinct androgynous voice.

The bell above the door chimed cheerfully and you looked up from where you had been standing at the register, examining your fingernails.

“Welcome, Touya-senpai!”

Touya looked over at you with a smile and adjusted his beret further up his head. He had what appeared to be a canvas under his arm, covered with a white sheet. He trotted up to the register and gestured it towards you.

“Is that your newest creation?” You hoped that it was another painting for the cafe. You felt like the walls were still bare, though you had had a bulletin board installed with public notices, like the school event schedule, and a box for suggestions. Though you seemed to be getting more notes from the senpai to you than actual feedback.

"It is!” he exclaimed cheerfully. “It is my ultimate masterpiece. I have felt so inspired these past few weeks. I wanted to show it to you." He flipped the sheet off to reveal the canvas and you couldn't help but gape at what he had painted.

“Wait, is that…” you trailed off, taking in every inch of canvas.

It was a gorgeous portrait of...yourself. The background was minimalistic, but you recognized it as being the cafe. However, in contrast to the background, he had painted your bust in the same style as the paintings you had chosen to hang on the wall. Your body was facing away from the viewer, but your head was turned so they could see half of your face. The column of your neck was graceful and your long brown hair silhouetted your face, highlighting the light blush that topped your cheeks. Your eyes were focused on whatever it was you were doing with your hands, a hint of a smile adorning your lips. You suddenly realized it as a view that any of the senpai would recognize straight away. You must be behind the counter preparing tea, or perhaps making latte art. It was beautiful.

“Yes. It's you.” His beaming face softened to a gentler smile. “Before I met you, I was having trouble finding motivation to paint. But when I saw you, something inside me changed. Suddenly, I started feeling all sorts of emotions. I realized I was falling for you." He let out a short laugh at his own words, as though he was slightly embarrassed. "I needed to express all these emotions that I started feeling. I found my inspiration to paint again. It's all because of you.” He placed the small canvas on the counter, looking down at it for a moment before meeting your eyes once more. “Will you be my muse?"

“Oh, Touya-senpai.” You glanced at his expectant face before dropping your gaze to the painting laid before you. “I am very flattered that you find me as an inspiration for your artwork. This is truly amazing! I’m afraid that I won’t be able to return your feelings though, I’m so sorry.”

“Not a problem!”

At his reply, you looked back up at him in surprise. His face was still cheery and you wondered if he had heard you correctly. He was certainly taking the rejection better than you had expected. “Huh?”

“So long as you don’t mind being my muse, I don’t mind not having you as a girlfriend. After all, I know that there’s, uh,” he glanced behind himself and you noticed that Izumi was looking at the two of you inquisitively. When your eyes met he blushed furiously and turned his nose back into his book. “Plenty of other people that are vying for your attention as of late.” You felt your cheeks grow hot as well. He just smiled wider and laughed lightly. “In any case, I made this for you. Please keep it. And think of me when you look at it.”

“Oh, senpai, are you sure?” You were flustered. It was a gorgeous painting and you would love to have it, but you knew that if you took it home your grandmother would have plenty of questions for you. You wouldn't feel comfortable hanging it in the cafe. It was meant for you, not the third year students.

“Yes, of course. I can make plenty more, don't you worry about that.”

You now felt that your own ears were glowing a hot red as well. You gently took the canvas and glanced up at Touya, who was still looking as happy as ever. “Thank you, Touya-senpai. I love it.”

He reached out as though he was going to touch your hand, but the tinkling sound of the bell had him pulling back before he could. He glanced back to see Reiji beelining over to Ren on the couch and you knew that whatever bubble of privacy you had had was now gone.

“I’m glad you like it.” Touya said before taking a few steps backward. “I need to go to the club room for a bit before classes start. I’ll see you later?”

You clutched the canvas closer to your chest. “Of course. I’ll see you then.”

He nodded and turned on his heel, leaving the cafe. As Reiji woke Ren up and talked excitedly to him, you pushed through the kitchen doors, waiting until you were completely out of eyesight before pulling the painting away from your apron and set it up on a counter, leaning against the wall. You thought about it for a minute before smiling to yourself. You could always hang it up here in the kitchen. You would be able to admire it daily and none of the senpai were allowed in without your permission.

Reaching out a finger, you brushed your fingers over the individual strokes that formed your face. Touya had truly outdone himself. You looked beautiful. You knew that you really would think of him every time you saw it. And you would never forget the happiness on his face as he confessed to you.


	7. Sixth Confession (ReaderxHajime)

You swept up the dirt and leaves that had been tracked in by the front door, humming to the song playing on the jukebox. The majority of students were busy with their after school clubs, leaving the cafe next to empty. Souh was on the other side of the cafe helping you clean some of the tables, despite your pushing for him to relax and let you make him some tea.

You had just swept the debris into the dustpan when you heard something over the music playing in the cafe. You stood up straight and looked outside the window, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. The thumping was getting louder and you found that it was playing in some kind of pattern. It was familiar, something you had heard recently. Then you realized what it was once it was loud enough to mask the sound from the jukebox entirely.

“Hajime-senpai’s taiko drum?” You stepped over to the school calendar you had hanging on the wall, but today’s date was completely empty. If there was nothing happening today then why was the drum, which was only played for school festivals, resounding through the air so strongly?

The drumming suddenly stopped and there was a ringing silence that took over your ears. A deep voice called your name cheerfully and added, “Come on out!”

You met eyes with Souh across the cafe and he shook his head almost imperceptibly, going back to his cleaning. Curious, you set the broom and dustpan against the wall and opened the door, taking a tentative step outside.

It was indeed Hajime, along with several of his club members, who were waving banners in the air. A closer look proved the writing on them to be drawings of hearts in multiple sizes and colors. From the uneven shapes and the thick paint strokes, you had no doubt that he had made them himself. It was very much like him.

When your eyes finally landed on the boy in front of you, his grin grew even wider, his white teeth shining behind his tanned skin. He pointed one of his bachi towards you and pronounced seriously and much quieter than his normal volume, “I will show you, with this drum performance, the strength of my feelings for you.” Without waiting for a response, he took a deep breath and raised the sticks in the air, slamming them on the taiko drum with a fierce cry. “HYAAAAA!”

The burst of noise caused you to unintentionally flinch, despite the forewarning. Thankfully he had looked down with the first stroke, missing your moment of shock. The pattern he beat out was immediately recognizable. A heartbeat.

_Ba-bump, ba-bump._

He called over the drumming, making sure you could hear him. “This beat represents the beat of my heart when I'm with you, strong and steady.” He drummed fiercer than before, as though to prove his point. 

_Ba-bump, ba-bump._

“Seeing you fills me with so much energy and passion for life.”

_Ba-bump, ba-bump._

“Every day feels like a festival when I'm with you.”

 _Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump._ Your own pulse rushed as he finished his confession.

He gave a few last thumps on the drum before slowing to a stop and looking at you with the largest smile you had ever seen. Despite the masculine air he gave off, he always wore his heart on his sleeves--or lack thereof, most of the time.

The moments that passed in silence had begun to affect Hajime. Your lack of response had his club members shuffling awkwardly from foot to foot and his grin had subsided to a small smile, his teeth no longer shining in the sunlight.

This was the hardest confession you had to reject. You really liked Hajime and his outgoing personality. You liked all of the senpai. These past few weeks of getting to know them all better since the festival was starting to put cracks in the walls you had built to contain your feelings. You opened and closed your mouth like a fish out of water, trying to find the words, trying to ignore the prick of tears in your eyes. Finally you were able to choke out a few syllables.

“I...can’t. Hajime...I’m sorry.”

You turned before you could see his crestfallen face and he could see the tears drip down your cheeks. You practically ran through the door and pushed past a concerned Souh on your way to the kitchen.

As soon as you were sure the door had closed behind you, you covered your sobs with a hand, trying to keep them quiet so Souh wouldn’t feel the urge to follow you and get in trouble for breaking the rule against other students in the back rooms. You leaned against the wall out of sight from the little square window in the kitchen door and slid to the floor. Tears were pooling against your fingers. You took a shuddering gasp for air and picked up the bottom of your apron, dabbing at your eyes. You caught a glimpse of Touya’s painting sitting on the counter across from you and you bit back a fresh wave of sadness.

You needed to build the walls back up. You needed to put distance between yourself and the senpai. You needed the school name on your resume. You needed to think about your future, your reputation.

It didn't matter what you wanted. This is what you had to do.


	8. Seventh Confession (ReaderxReiji)

You missed classes for the rest of the week. You needed space to organize your thoughts, to push the reset button on your emotions. You could always care for the senpai, but any romantic inclinations had to go. No more breaking down after, or during, confessions. You knew that you would receive more. It was in the nature of the situation.

It also gave you a good excuse to catch up on the schoolwork that had been piling up. Your teachers were understanding when you turned in homework a day late, but that didn't mean you should slack off. Your grades also made up a good portion of your scholarship and you weren’t going to risk losing it over that alone.

When you finally returned to school, there was a small crowd at the cafe door, peeking to see if you were inside. The relief that you were there was evident on many of their faces. A few, including Touru, appeared more pleased that they could finally get a cup of good, fresh coffee again.

The morning was hectic. Between orders and reorganizing the cafe--some of the milk and pastries had gone bad while you were gone--you barely had a moment to sit, even less think. You did notice that there seemed to be a lot more whispering and muttering among the senpai who sat close enough to each other to talk, but as soon as you would approach them, they would become suspiciously quiet. You didn’t bother worrying about it too much.

A bell could be heard across the field from the main building, signifying the last few minutes left before classes began. The boys gathered their things and filed out, nodding to you and saying goodbyes, promising to see you during lunch.

As the last few were shifting out the door, you saw a stubbled face peeking through the front windows. Hajime smiled and waved at you, disappearing for a moment before shouldering past Makoto in the doorway with a cheerful comment on the most recent game and an amicable grin.

And with that, you and Hajime were alone in the cafe. The closer he stepped towards you, the stiffer your spine became. You weren’t sure how to start a conversation after the awful state you had left him in the other day. However, he didn’t seem to be perturbed in any way.

“Good morning!” he said cheerfully as he stood on the other side of the counter from you.

“M...Morning, Hajime-senpai. What can I get for you? Classes are going to start in a minute…”

He shook his head. “Oh, I’m not here to order anything!”

“Ah…” you trailed off, unsure where the topic was leading.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

“Huh?” You hadn’t been expecting an apology. If anything, it was you who should be saying sorry.

“If I’d known about the whole relationship restriction you have, I wouldn’t have made such a public confession! That must have been troublesome for you.”

You waved your hand in the air between you in rebuttal. “It’s okay, senpai. I’m sorry that I didn’t explain…” You narrowed your eyes at him. “Wait, how do you know about my scholarship details?”

His cheeks started to redden. “Ah, I heard from Yuu. Who heard from Ai. I think the whole school knows about it by now. Some people don’t know how to restrain themselves! Haha!” The final bell rang and Hajime took a few backward steps. “I meant everything I said, though! I hope someday soon you’ll be able to honestly answer my feelings for you!”

You flushed as he turned and made his exit, dashing off towards the main building.

You looked at the time on the register and sighed. You’d have to take care of the expired stock later in the day, you only just had enough time now to quickly wipe down the tables before needing to go to class yourself.

\----

Lunchtime was even busier than that morning. You dashed around with the senpai’s coffee, teas, pastries, and desserts. A few tried to stop you for a minute of conversation, but it was rushed and short as there was a steady line that would appear at the counter whenever you looked away for too long.

At last, you had everybody served. You picked up a tray with the last order and walked over to Reiji, who had settled into his favorite chair, a fun egg-themed seat you had found in the storage and couldn’t help but laugh every time you saw it. You noticed that he hadn’t brought any of his books or papers for his studies, which were usually scattered about all around him. In fact, he seemed more interested in you than the tea.

“Reiji-senpai. Here is your tea.” You set the tray in the center of the table in front of him. 

Like you predicted, he didn’t even glance at the mug in front of him. His blue eyes glittered as he met your gaze. “Will you help me test a certain theory?”

“Huh? An experiment?” He usually asked Ren or Souma to help him if he was stuck on a project. They always looked fun, even if they usually ended up in disaster. Hesitant to bring any harm to the cafe, you said, “Sure.”

“Can you sit beside me, please?” He gestured to the cafe chair on his other side, turning it to face him. He adjusted his own chair to face yours as you sat in front of him. Before you were fully settled in, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into an embrace.

“Eh!?” Your shout of surprise was muffled against his lab coat. This was the first time any of the senpai had touched you so intimately. Usually it was no more than a brush of hands when passing them their drinks or a tap on the arm to get your attention.

“Just as I expected, my heart starts beating faster when I’m near you. My theory is correct. I do indeed have feelings for you.”

You had been trying to look over his shoulder to see how the other senpai in the cafe were reacting to Reiji’s action, but his words distracted you completely. Like this? He was going to confess in front of a quarter of his classmates?

“What?” you said, the words leaving your lips in a whisper.

His voice quieted to match your own. “I thought at first I was catching some sort of sickness. My pulse was racing and I was feeling flustered all the time.” He paused for a moment, letting out a deep breath, causing your hair to flutter around your ear and sent a tremble down your back. “Then I realized these symptoms only occurred when I was around you or when I was thinking about you.” His arms squeezed even tighter around your shoulders, making it difficult to breathe. “I like you,” he finished in the crook of your neck.

“S-senpai…” You struggled in his arms, needing to get space between you, before his touch and the feeling of his breath on your neck led you to trouble. You hadn’t expected an outburst like this from Reiji, who usually had his head in his notes, who put more stock into science than emotions.

He suddenly let you go and you fell into the chair, hitting your shoulder blades on the back of the chair with a thump. His cheeks were a bright shade of red, but he wasn't meeting your eyes. He was focusing on something behind you. You turned to see if you could tell what it was, but only saw the back of the blue couch.

“I should go. Thank you for the tea.” He gave a weak smile and picked up his bag, standing and turning smartly, his lab coat twirling in his wake as he made his escape out of the cafe, leaving behind the untouched mug.

You felt confused but stood up as well, shaking out your apron and gathering up the items from the table. In passing some of the boys on your way back to the kitchen, you could sense something was wrong. The room was unnaturally quiet considering how many people were in it. It wasn't until you returned from the back that the beginnings of conversation had started up again.

Taking the dish rag and disinfectant spray from behind the register, you cleaned the counter top, wondering if today was a sign that things weren't going to be any better than before.


End file.
